One issue worth mentioning is that psychiatrists are one of the hardest specialists to find that participate in health insurance. This is only anecdotal in my area, but many that take insurance have multiple month waiting periods for new patients. Or you can pay $200 to see one on your dime.

It's not the cost of the medication that's the problem. It's access to the professional to prescribe the medication that drives people to self-medicate, IMHO.